Love Comes First
by Rachika
Summary: A confusing situation causes Booth to take a vacation, and make an important decision, while Bones is left to discover what these feelings are all on her own. Rated for language and possible sexual situations. Be kind please, this is my first Bones story.
1. Chapter 1

Okay. So this is my first Bones story. I'm sorry if this is a little OOC, because many of my stories don't seem to display the true character; My characters tend to stray a tad from their true personalities. Plus I'm not much of a scientific chick, so Brennan's words may not be so accurate. Please be patient, and perhaps leave off some much-needed advice? =] I haven't written in a few years, and to be honest I may have lost my touch. Thank you all, please enjoy.

Rain splattered onto the ground in front of him. The night was cold, dimly lit by the street lamps, a touch of melancholy filling the empty streets. Brown eyes glared at the cracks in the sidewalk beneath steady feet, an ocean of emotions ready to spill over at any moment. What had he been thinking? "Should have stayed with the _atta-girl_ thing. I knew it." He muttered to himself as the cold wind drifted across his bare skin, causing a small shiver to run through his body. Something spilled over the rims of those dark brown eyes, and Booth angrily used the back of his hand to wipe it away. Nothing he did, nothing he said, it would never be good enough. Not for her. She deserved better than his pathetic heart.

The wind picked up suddenly, causing the man to glare up at the dark sky. He turned to walk back inside, until something caught his eye. He quickly turned and took in the sight of a young couple enjoying the cold but peaceful night. A young woman dressed casually walked under the arm of a taller man, who seemed to be thrilled to listen to her non-stop chatter. A sudden gust of wind carried her scarf away, and as she shrieked the young man ran after it. Even when it caught on a high branch, even when she told him it was just a scarf and she could get another, he continued to fight for that scarf. He jumped with all the power he could muster, and eventually snagged the end of it between his fingers. With a huge smile on his face he tenderly placed the scarf around her neck, and in reward she pecked his cheek.

Booth stared with jealousy. He would have done the exact same thing, only for _her_. The woman he loved more than even he understood, yet was beyond his reach. Bitterly he turned around and stalked into his apartment building. After shutting the door and locking it, he slumped down on his couch, running a tired hand through his hair. Where had it all gone wrong? The night seemed to be moving smoothly, normally. They were content on talking about their just-finished case, and Angela's new boyfriend. Yet somewhere during that simple conversation he had to blurt out how he felt. Three words, and they seemed to ruin everything.

"Stupid, Seeley, you're so stupid!" He slammed a hand down on the coffee table in front of him. What had he been thinking? What possessed him to blurt out his biggest secret over fucking pie and coffee?! Why hadn't he been watching what he was doing, thinking about things before he said them? He hated to say his gut failed him, but for once it had. Maybe he should have listened to her for once and followed his brain, not his heart. If his brain had been working he would have listened to it.

Booth walked to the window and sighed loudly, pressing his forehead to the cool glass. His eyes followed the raindrops that slid down the window, and noticed that there was a small spot of fog from breathing. He took a finger and drew a heart into it and, suddenly feeling like a stupid teenage boy again, wiped it away with one swipe of his palm. He growled to himself and leaned his back up against the wall. He banged his head against it a couple times gently before sinking to the floor. He gently took a picture of her out of his wallet. "What have you done to me? Everything I thought I knew… " Booth looked up suddenly, well aware of what he needed to do.

Seconds, minutes passed; Soon the hour was gone. And all that was left was the picture of her on the coffee table, a quickly scratched note, and an echoing silence.

* * *

Temperance sat on her couch, a book in her lap. Her eyes tried to skim the sentences, but she couldn't manage to remember a single word she read. Frustrated she closed the book and sat it on her table quietly. Her fingers tapped on her jeans; She found it annoying. Slowly she rose and shuffled into her kitchen for a cup of coffee. She felt upset, but that was irrational. Her actions were justified – There was a line between the two of them and he had crossed it. Still, she couldn't fight the gnawing feeling deep in her stomach that told her something was wrong.

Her dreams as of late had been, emotional, to say the least. They were all different, but each and every one led to something similar, with the same man. The last one, especially, had been quite erotic. She couldn't deny that she was physically attracted to this man, but love? Absurd. Love wasn't rational. Yes, she had made a toast in the name of love, but her head was still attached to her shoulders, and she knew it was simply a chemical reaction. Sometimes she wanted to believe him, what he said about making love and being in love. But she had never experienced this before; How was that possible? She had been with many men, and while the sex was quite pleasurable, there certainly was nothing involving the molding of bodies, or any "earth movement". That was scientifically impossible, and in reality quite silly for a grown man to think such a thing could happen.

However, every time her mind told her it was foolish, her heart would skip a beat. She wanted desperately for him to show her was true love making was, something beyond simple sexual gain, and prove her wrong. But with every hope there was a drawback. Something forcing her to stay bolted to the ground, to keep her steady head. Every time she came close to asking him, something forced her to swallow her words.

This time was the worst.

_It was just the two of them, sitting together at Temperance's kitchen table. Conversing and sharing jokes over coffee and pie, which she still hated, but kept around the house for Booth, since his visits to her home had been happening more frequently. She wanted to ask him to desperately to show her what he meant by "making love", and this time she would do it._

"_Booth."_

_The man looked up, his fork in mid-air as he chewed on a piece of pie. "Mph?"_

_Temperance stood, walking over to him. She waited until he swallowed then pulled him up slowly. "I want you to show me."_

_Booth stuttered a little, licking his lips. "Show you what Bones?"_

_Temperance sighed softly. She pulled his head down and kissed his full, warm lips. She felt him stiffen, but slowly he warmed up to her kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth, exploring and tasting her. His hands went to her waist as he slowly walked her back against a wall. She wrapped her arms around his neck, fervently kissing back, using her tongue to lick and suck his bottom lip. Something was different… Warm. A spark lit deep in her belly and she felt her body shudder with pleasure. Booth pulled away slowly from the kiss and moved to her neck, gently kissing and sucking her skin. She heard herself moan and wondered if this was just the beginning. Already it was feeling different, deeper. A new sense of pleasure she didn't know existed._

_Booth whispered into her ear, his warm breath hitting her. "I love you."_

_Instantly Temperance stiffened. Did he think she was doing this because she loved him, or was he simply expressing his own emotions? Either way she was sure he felt her hesitation, as he pulled back. "Bones?"_

_She said nothing, only looked away in silence. He tried to look into her eyes, but she couldn't force herself to say anything. Her "gut" was telling her to say something, anything, to put him at ease. But for once, nothing came to her mind. No words, not even scientific terms. Booth stepped back, and when she finally looked at him, it seemed he was broken. His back was hunched, his eyes to the floor, his arms limp at his sides. _

_Before her mouth could even attempt to sputter out anything, he had grabbed his coat and shut the door softly behind him._

She had wanted to put him to ease, but what would she have said? Her belly felt like it was in knots, twisting with every breath she took. She knew this was an illogical feeling, but something was pushing her to at least call him. But what would she say? What was love, really? What did love feel like, the love he had tried to explain to her so many times?

She needed to talk with him. Maybe he could explain to her what "love" felt like, and if what she was experiencing was close to it. But not now, it was too late. "In the morning," she decided softly. She turned the kitchen lights off and heading to bed, the full coffee mug on the counter forgotten.

* * *

End Chapter One! =] Reviews are great, especially for a first-time Bones writer! =D


	2. Chapter Two Mistakes

**Thank you guys for the reviews! =D I'm happy because I haven't written in a while, so I'm hoping this goes well. It should be three or four chapters; I haven't quite decided yet. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Two - Mistakes**

Dr. Brennan sat at her desk, pondering her next move. Should she wait for Booth to arrive, or should she call him? Normally he was at her office by this time, stopping by with a donut in his hand to chat quickly before work; A little habit that had started only a few months ago. She didn't want to leave her office, just in case he stopped by, but she needed to talk to someone. These emotions were confusing her, causing her work to be effected. And in reality, if her work was effected she needed to resolve whatever was the cause of it. Which, in fact, meant talking about what was bothering her. In order for her to do that she needed to find someone to talk to. But Booth hadn't stopped by yet. Maybe she should call him and see if he was too busy to stop by that morning. Yes, that would be a good idea.

Dr. Brennan picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number. She waited for it to ring, but was disappointed when it went straight to voicemail. "That's odd, Booth almost always has his phone on." She hung up, dismayed. The longer she sat at her desk staring at her computer screen, however, the more frustrated she became. Perhaps she should talk to Angela. She was always good at giving advice about things Temperance didn't understand. So quickly she headed down to Angela's office.

"Angela!"

The artist looked up. "Sweetie!" She smiled and stood, then frowned at the look on her friend's face. "What's wrong?"

Temperance sat down. "Angela, I need to talk to you." Her face was troubled.

Angela closed the door behind her, and sat down across from her friend. "What's going on, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"There are no such things as-"

"It was an expression, Sweetie." Angela gave her a small smile of understanding. "What's wrong?

Temperance took a breath. "I need to know what love is."

The artist gave her a confused look. "Sweetie, love is different for everybody. There really is no scientific definition."

"But," Temperance urged "What is love to you? What does it do to you? Booth is always telling me to follow my gut, and that love comes before the chemistry. I need to know if that's true."

Angela smiled and crossed her legs. "Well, to me, love is…" She paused. "Love is when you kiss somebody, and you get a bubbly feeling inside. It's when you love spending time with that person, and even when they irritate you or make you mad, you can't stay angry for long, and you just want them to smile. Love is when you care so much about the other person you're willing to sacrifice anything of yours to keep them safe." She paused again to see if Temperance was taking this in. "When you love someone, sex goes beyond that, it turns into something you don't want to share with anyone else. And when they say things to you that are only meant for you, it makes you happy. Are you getting this sweetie?"

Temperance had a frown on her face. She was lost in thought. Angela decided to help her along.

"Do you feel any of those things? When he kisses you, what do you feel?"

Temperance frowned. "I don't exactly know. I feel warm, like I just had some hot coffee."

"Okay," Angela nodded in appreciation. "That's a good start. Now what about spending time with him? Do you ever want him to leave, or don't you care if he stays until two in the morning talking to you, or doing other things?"

"I feel… I feel all of those things. I'm not good at feeling things, Angela."

"Sweetie, you have to listen to Booth on this one, because he's right." She patted Temperance's hand. "If you feel that way, Bren, it's love."

It was as if Temperance had seen fireworks behind her eyelids. Something sparked within her mind and her eyes shot open in slight shock. "Ang, I love him."

"I know sweetie."

Temperance looked at her, confused. "But I just figured it out myself, how could you possibly know before I did?"

Angela laughed. "Sweetie, it's so obvious that you two love each other. We were just waiting for you two to realize it." She smiled, then frowned as she watched her best friend's face fall. "What's wrong now?"

"Ang, I think I made a mistake."

* * *

Booth stared out at the ocean, his eyes taking in the colors of the sunset with numbness. He missed her. He missed her terribly. And the worst part of it was she didn't want him back. He blinked behind his sunglasses, hoping he wouldn't cry. Not here, and not now. He stood from his chair, feeling the warm sand under his feet. The view was making him sick. He'd always wanted to take Temperance to the beach; To feel her warm hand in his as they walked along the water's edge, to watch her hair blow gently in the wind, to see her smile as she took in the sunset.

But none of that would happen now. And he was sick of looking at so many couples enjoying each other's company. He shouldn't have come here, but it was the last thing he had left. He knew he would have to return soon, if not for anyone else than for Parker, but he didn't want to go back to face her. He didn't want to listen to her talk and brag about her sexual encounters with other men, to see her eyes glimmer mischievously. He would call as soon as he got back and request another partner, or request that she stay in the lab.

He made his way back to his hotel room, sinking further into despair with each step. No matter how much beer he drank, or what was on the tv, or how loud he could hear his son's voice over the phone, it wouldn't repair his heart. A few years back he might have bounced back from something like this – picked up the pieces and moved on quickly. Not this time. This was different. This was a woman he loved, more than any other he'd been with. No, this broke him. It shattered his way of thinking. As he opened his door with his key, he thought of how nice it would have been to see her smile waiting for him on the other side. He shut the door behind him, letting his forehead sink against the door. Nothing would be the same. He had to face that.

But as he lay in bed, staring up to the ceiling, he wondered if it'd ever be over. She'd already forced him into something he'd never have done before – leaving. What was next? No, he had to end it. He would call and request another partner. She may be the best, but he was fine before her, and he'd recover after her.

He had no choice.

* * *

Dr. Brennan knocked on the door, expecting silence. Which is exactly what answered her. She wanted to respect his privacy, but this was important. It had the potential to be life-changing. So why wasn't he answering? Obviously he didn't know what had occurred that day, he hadn't shown up at all. But this was obviously important, she wouldn't be continuously knocking at his door if it wasn't.

"Booth?" She called his name, softly at first then louder. "Booth? It's me, Brennan. I want to talk to you."

Silence.

"Booth I know you probably think bad of me after yesterday, and it is my fault. I shouldn't have rushed something like that without knowing the truth. I know-" She took a breath, "-how important that is to you."

More silence. Nothing came from inside the apartment, not even the sound of rustling or of his feet padding around the apartment. Nothing.

"Booth?"

Finally she took out a bobby pin, tired of waiting. She wanted to respect his privacy, but this was important to her, and she knew it would be important to him as well. After fiddling with the lock for a few moments she managed to open the door. Slowly she walked in, calling his name once more. It was dark, almost menacingly so, and so she groped around for the light switch. The lights turned on to illuminate the simple apartment. There wasn't any garbage, minus a few beer bottles lying around. She walked around a bit, calling his name, and still heard nothing. She collapsed on his couch, disappointed he wasn't home. "I'll just wait." She spoke aloud, almost as if he were there. Then her eye caught a glimpse of something that seemed out of place on his coffee table. She picked it up.

"Flight to California, 9:10 am?" Her voice cracked a little near the end. "Flight plans? There's no return date…" She then picked up the picture next to it. "I remember that…" Temperance looked closely at the picture. It was a picture that had been taken a long while ago during one of her book signings. He had stopped in to say hi, and bring her coffee. They had ended up having some woman take a picture of the two of them. It was folded, like it had been in a book or such. "He still has this?" she muttered to herself. He looked so handsome in that picture, casual in his normal work uniform.

She needed to talk to him. When was he coming back? The paper didn't say… "What do I do?"

Temperance Brennan fell asleep on Booth's couch, worried and frightened that he may not come back.

* * *

**End chapter two! =] Reviewers get cookies of their choice! =] Sorry these chapters are so short, but I have such a short attention span I sort of need to cut them up, haha. **


	3. Chapter Three Learning

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! =] I know a lot of you wanted Brennan to run off to California for Booth, but to me it just doesn't seem very Brennan-ish. So I hope you like this next chapter anyway!**

**Chapter Three!**

The day seemed dreary, even though the sun was shining and it was a lovely eighty-five degrees outside. Barely a cloud in the sky, yet it was dark and gloomy. As Booth drove home from the airport, attempting to listen to the blaring radio, his mind wandered back to that night. "I love you over pie. Brilliant. You want milk in your coffee, or some 'I love you'?" He frowned when an old country love song came on, and quickly switched stations. But another one blared through the speakers.

_I can't hide the way I feel about you anymore_

_I can't hold the hurt inside, keep the pain out of my eyes anymore  
_

_My tears no longer waiting...my resistance ain't that strong  
_

_My mind keeps recreating a life with you alone  
_

_And I'm tired of pretending that I don't love you anymore _

Booth glared at the road, angry at what seemed like the entire world. He was angry and frustrated. Today was his last day of holding the cards. He had the chance to apologize, to put things back to the way they were. But as much as he wanted Bones back, as much as he needed their banter, their jokes, their shared life lessons, he couldn't do it. He refused to take back the truth again. He'd thought a lot on his 'vacation' and had come to the conclusion that even if it meant losing her, he had to show her he was an honest man, and that when he said something he didn't go back on it. So tomorrow he would make the life changing call. It would be over, and he could move on.

He tried lying to himself, but he knew it wasn't true. He could never stop loving her, much less forget about her.

He turned the engine off and sighed loudly. He grabbed his bag and started towards his apartment. Lost in thought, he didn't notice the light on under the door, nor the smell of _something_ wafting his way.

"Booth!"

Seeley froze, nearly dropping his bag. There, standing in plain view, was Temperance Brennan. It appeared she was baking something. Upon taking a whiff he decided it smelled like pie. Apple pie, to be exact. It excited him, yet angered him.

"Damn it Bones, when I lock my door it means nobody's allowed in or out without my permission. It's an invasion of privacy to just break into my house."

Her face dropped, and suddenly he felt a little bad. A knot in his stomach tightened, and he ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry if I'm offending you by being here, but I had to talk to you-"

"I don't want to talk to you."

Those words, spoken so softly, were the coldest things she'd ever heard him say. A sharp pain traveled from her gut to her heart, making her whimper softly. It made her feel vulnerable, weak, yet it also made her feel human.

"We need to talk Booth. Communication is a healthy part of-"

"If you think you need to make excuses for that night, forget it. I don't need to hear it." He walked into his bedroom, dropping his bag on the floor on the way to his dresser. After removing the smelly one, he pulled out a clean shirt and yanked it over his head. He turned around to find her standing in his doorway, looking similar to a lost child. She tried hard to cover her emotions, but occasionally, in a situation she couldn't handle, it would all shine through.

"Booth." She whispered, afraid. "I'm sorry. But we have to talk."

"No," he said in frustration, "You have to talk. I have nothing to say."

Temperance swallowed, her anxiousness building quickly. "Can we at least sit down?" Booth grumbled, but agreed. No matter how angry or disappointed he was in her, he couldn't seem to deny her. He collapsed on his couch and crossed his arms, staring at her as she took a seat across from him. "Booth, I was wrong." She took a breath, gaining courage. "When we kissed, I wanted to experience what you call 'love making'. I didn't understand that you… Loved me." She looked him in the eye, ready for whatever he threw her way. "I didn't want to hurt you – I wanted you to be the one to show me what love making is. Why you feel the way you do about it. I didn't understand why I made you upset." She frowned. "But I have discovered, after much thought, that maybe what I feel for you has been 'love' all along, and I just didn't know what it was. But I feel you may be right in saying that love comes first, and chemistry follows."

She watched with apprehension, seeing all the emotions displayed on his face ever-so briefly. He was skilled, she gave him that. But his answer sank her hopes.

"I don't want a pity fuck."

"No, Booth, that's not what I'm saying."

His face showed his obvious frustration. He was about to get up when she took the chance before him, rising and walking over to him. She looked down at him. "I don't want to fuck you." She challenged him with her eyes. "I want to make love to the man that I love."

Booth's reaction was hard to read, and for a brief second it frightened her. Finally, after what seemed like minutes of silence, he responded.

"Making love doesn't just happen, Bones. You have to want it, need it. You have to feel the mood and flow with it."

She blushed, a little embarrassed. "I just want you to know I love you."

Booth frowned. "Prove it." Inside he knew it was wrong, to make this longer than it had to be, but he didn't want to be hurt again. His emotions were already going haywire, and his heart was fluttering. He kept a cold exterior, but inside he was melting with the hope that what she was saying was true, that she really did love him in return.

Temperance's eyes flitted from his dark orbs to his full lips. Then she knew. She sat next to him on the couch, took his face into her delicate hands, stroking his jaw, and kissed him tenderly. It was soft, gentle. Something that embraced what she was feeling. He slowly began to move his lips against hers and, soon enough, they were engaged in a beautiful, full kiss. It was breathtaking, it was loving, it was proof. All that Seeley needed. He ran his fingers through her hair gently, kissing back with a gentle need. He opened his mouth to hers, and he tasted her. Intoxicating; A specific mixture like no other he'd experienced. Vanilla mixed with apples. While Temperance's hands wrapped around his neck, Booth lifted her onto his lap, deciding not to break the kiss. Their tastes mixed, and Temperance ran her hands down his arms slowly, enjoying the feel of his smooth skin under her probing hands. When the need for air grew to be desperate, they broke the kiss.

Seeley panted lightly, looking into Temperance's eyes. They were glazed over slightly, cloudy orbs of blue with a slight tint of green. Her lips were parted seductively, unintentionally. She gazed back at him with bare honesty.

"I love you Booth." She kept the slight distance between them so she could see his beautiful brown eyes. "I love you." She paused. "I wasn't sure I believed in love but… You made me believe."

Booth chuckled. "You realize how corny that sounds, don't you?"

"Corny? What does this have to do with vegetables?"

Booth grinned slightly and shook his head in amusement. "No, corny. It means… It's been used a lot before, it's not original. Lame. Stuff like that."

Bones frowned. "So this is a joke?"

Booth shook his head. "It's always lost with you. But I guess that's one of the things I love about you. I do love you Bones. Just… Making love, it takes time. It's an experience you want to be special, a bonding thing you could say."

"But we 'bond' every day. Don't we? We share opinions and stories; That can be defined as 'bonding', especially in today's social groups."

"Not that kind of bonding Bones." He struggled to find the words to explain it. "You know, I think it's just something you have to understand on your own." Temperance stood, looking at him. Booth looked back, wondering why she was staring. "What?"

"I'm making a pie."

"Yeah, so Bones?" He paused. "Why are you making a pie? You hate pies."

"Yes," she stated. "But you don't."

"So… You're making a pie for me?"

She frowned. "It's apple, I know you get that most of the time at the diner, so I figured it was your favorite. I have never baked a pie before but I followed the recipe and can conclude it should turn out fine." He looked up at her, slightly confused and a little proud. "I promise I won't break into your house again; I don't want to invade your privacy."

"Bones, relax." She frowned at him until he pulled her back down and hugged her, rubbing small circles into her back. "With the way things are going, I might as well give you a key! I don't want to keep barging into your house, you should barge into mine sometimes. Just don't get rid of my tv." He joked.

She gave him a soft look. "Perhaps you could show me why watching the television is so interesting." Booth grinned, his face practically glowing. Temperance stood up and began to walk away.

"Hey, where 'ya going Bones?" He stood up to follow her.

"I told you – I'm making you a pie and I don't want it to burn." She took the pie out of the small oven and set it down gently. Booth, feeling mischievous, took a bit of the spare crust dough and tossed it at Temperance's back. It hit her between the shoulders and she turned around, a look of disbelief on her face.

"You didn't."

"I did." Booth grinned as he took another piece of dough. He tossed it at her shoulder, and it hit square on. Temperance grinned and ran for the dough, grabbing a handful quickly and running across the kitchen. Booth swiftly grabbed a handful and threw it across the room; Temperance dodged and tossed some at him, bits and pieces flying every which-way. Booth caught a piece and threw it right back, chuckling as it landed in her hair. She mock-gasped and threw another piece at him, and when it hit his cheek, let out a loud laugh. Booth ran across the room, scooting over the table and pinning her to the wall.

And suddenly a shiver crawled it's way up her back. Suddenly… she didn't feel alone. Suddenly, as he took her hands in his and kissed her softly, she discovered what her kind of love was.

* * *

**End Chapter Threeeee! Ookay so that was a little corny, I admit. But I think it fit. =] I was considering adding a fourth chapter, but I've decided that if I do write one, it will be a separate story from this one. So if you liked this story, look out for a sort of epilogue in a separate story. I'd love to hear what your thoughts are on this last chapter. Thank you for all your wonderful advice and reviews! And by the advice of a wonderful reviewer, I will be looking for a beta reader for my next story. Thank you all again!**


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